This invention relates to improvements in belt drive systems and more particularly to systems that employ a V-belt, or multiple V-belts. The disclosed invention is directed toward an efficient way to accurately check the alignment of the components of a belt drive system.
Power transmission through belts or chains is most efficiently achieved when each component in the belt drive system is aligned in exactly the same plane. Misaligned tracking of the belt over the drive pulleys and any idler pulleys results in excessive belt wear. Alignment of the differing components optimizes belt drive system life.
Misalignment of the belt drive system, and the resulting non-linear movement of the belt, may be caused by a plurality of reasons. One reason is slack in the belt, generating lateral vibrations of the belt between the pulleys. This belt vibration as the belt travels about the drive pulleys often causes the belt to become misaligned between the pulleys. Additionally, if there is excessive vibration in the entire drive system, the belt may become misaligned.
Detection of initial and subsequent misalignment, even that of minute misalignment, of any component of the belt drive system can improve the life of the drive system, as well as reduce the belt drive noise.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,590,182 discloses providing a grooved idle pulley in a belt drive system to reduce lateral vibration of the belt as the belt travels between the drive pulleys. Other conventional methods to maintain alignment of the belt include providing flanges on the drive pulleys. Belts formed with longitudinal teeth grooves on the underside of the belt, corresponding to grooves in the pulleys may exhibit reduced misalignment. These methods work to maintain a general alignment of the belt between the pulleys, but do not provide a means for measuring minute misalignment of any component of the drive system.
Normal alignment procedures utilize some type of mechanical straight edge held against the pulleys or gears, for instance, a tautly pulled string or a piece of angle iron. Measurements are often taken by two people due to the cumbersome nature of the method. After the measurement is taken, the straight edge is removed, adjustments are made to the belt drive system, and the straight edge is repositioned to check the alignment. This procedure is repeated until alignment of the system is achieved.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,249,294 discloses an optical pulley alignment tool. The disclosed alignment tools consists of a first member and second member mounted on the pulleys inside the belt drive system. A target member has horizontal and vertical alignment markings corresponding to the centerline of the pulley. A viewing device having alignment markings corresponding to the markings of the target member is mounted on the centerline of the second pulley. Alignment of the pulleys is determined by any alignment of the target markings and the alignment markings of the viewing device. When the markings of the target align in the viewing device, the pulleys will be in alignment in the horizontal, vertical and angular planes.
With the tool of U.S. Pat. No. 4,249,294, if the pulleys are in alignment, the belt is presumably in proper alignment. This assumption may hold true if the toothing on the belt and the pulleys permit little to no lateral shifting of the belt. However, if the toothing grooves run across the transverse direction of the belt, lateral displacement and misalignment of the belt can still occur, absent any other mechanical device to prevent belt movement.
The disclosed invention provides a quick and efficient means for accurately determining alignment of the components of a belt drive system.
The purpose of this invention is to provide a device for ascertaining non-linear movement of an object.
A further purpose is to provide an efficient way to accurately check the alignment of the components of a belt drive system.
A further purpose of the invention is a tool for accurately checking the alignment of the components of the belt drive system.
A further purpose of the invention is to provide a means for performing quick visual checks of the alignment of the components of the belt drive system.
A further purpose of the invention is a tool for efficiently checking the alignment of the components of the belt drive system.
The disclosed invention is achieved by two sets of identical series of lines disposed on two different carrier means. One set of lines is made integral with the belt, and the second set of lines overlays the first set and is connected to the first set for a predetermined distance.
The belt and the predetermined distance of the device are fed into the pulley. The free end of the second, overlaying set of lines is free to shift with any misalignment of the drive system. Any misalignment of the any component of the belt system is quickly illustrated by the subsequent misalignment of, or interference between, the two sets of identical series of lines.